Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah exhorted his audience to warmly welcome the Messiah when He came to His people. The coming king would not show up as an overbearing conqueror. He would gently demonstrate love and compassion. Righteousness would characterize His person and His reign.
In the Near East, a king coming for battle rode a war stallion. One coming in peace rode on a donkey. Jesus came to provide man the ultimate peace by His death on the cross. 500 years after Zechariah’s prophecy, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Many welcomed Him that Sunday shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest!”
The large crowd spread their cloaks out on the road. Others cut branches from trees and spread them before Jesus. But by the end of that week, the fickle crowd was shouting “Crucify Him!”
What turned the crowd against Jesus? They didn’t get what they wanted. They wanted a powerful king to deliver them from the rule of Rome. Jesus came as a servant to deliver them from the rule of sin.
They wanted a king to reign; Jesus came to die. Their attitude about Jesus changed because He wasn’t who they wanted Him to be.
Let us never make the same mistake.
Father, may I worship You for who You are; not for who I want You to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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